A Press Democrat Blog

News and views about California's cash crop

A new ordinance went into effect today: people in Sebastopol’s multiunit dwellings can’t smoke tobacco indoors. Tonight, city councilmembers will discuss whether the ordinance should exempt smoking medical marijuana. They’ll also consider reducing the number of medical marijuana dispensaries in the city to one place only, down from two. Find the agenda here. The council meeting starts at 6 p.m. at the Sebastopol Youth Annex, 425 Morris St. Staff Writer Sam Scott outlined the debate over the city’s smoking ban… Read More »

An SSU Professor and Jack London scholar who has written about counter culture subjects from poet Allen Ginsberg to political activist Abbie Hoffman has published a book about marijuana. Communications Prof. Jonah Raskin is apparently a longtime weed smoker and High Times contributor. The magazine published his 2011 book “Marijuanaland: Dispatches from an American War.” Tuesday evening, Raskin is giving a free talk on his new book, which chronicle’s his conversations with “growers, dealers, dispensary owners, lawyers, smokers and cops… Read More »

Looks like Sonoma County will join at least 24 other California counties that have set a limit to the number of medical marijuana dispensaries. The Supes are also looking at charging growers fees and limiting where people can grow pot. Some dispensary owners support the changes, arguing that more regulation will help keep things safe and legit. What do you think? Read today’s report on the Supes’ decision.

Fewer medical marijuana dispensaries would lead to fewer pot gardens and a decrease in crime, or so the argument goes. Agree? The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors are debating that right now. Follow the discussion live online. They are considering whether to limit the number of dispensaries in unincorporated areas of the county. Staff Writer Brett Wilkison broke down the discussion in today’s paper.

Just found a map of Sonoma County medical marijuana dispensaries and delivery services. The website isn’t that easy to use, but there seem to be quite a lot of reviews. What are the best web references for dispensaries and other medical marijuana services?

That’s what the Rand Corporation reported. But then they took it back. From the Associated Press: LOS ANGELES (AP) — A nonprofit think tank has removed a study from its website that said crime increased near medical marijuana dispensaries in Los Angeles after they were closed. Warren Robak, a spokesman for Santa Monica-based Rand Corp., says the organization is reviewing the study released last month and has removed it from circulation. The Los Angeles city attorney’s office had said the… Read More »

Oh no! Pot brownies at friend’s funeral sicken three elderly people, from the Merc: “The guy who passed away used to eat marijuana brownies,” Reinhart said. “Someone sent them out because he used to eat them, but no one knew what was in them, and they were sitting on a table and people were snacking on them and three people got sick.”

Sour apple-flavored candies — in the shape of marijuana leaves — have sparked controversy in Pennsylvania, and perhaps elsewhere, where they’re sold. Apparently some people, particularly parents and elected officials, aren’t so enamored with the idea of Pothead lollypops, Pothead ring pops and Pothead sour gummy candies. Packaging on the sour apple gummies shows a young man/boy with a joint dangling from his lips and a stamp reading “legalize.” The candies are made in China, reports the Buffalo News. Customers… Read More »

I’ll do my best to resist cliché. French researchers found pot users, against all odds, are on average skinnier than people who don’t smoke/eat/etc. marijuana. Curious. TIME magazine’s health blog referenced the study and the writer mentioned other research that claimed people who don’t smoke pot for religious reasons may overcompensate by overeating (?) and that medical marijuana users are more likely to be sick and therefore less healthy. The latter at least seems logical. Though it begs the question,… Read More »

17,400,000. That’s the number of American people (12 years and older) estimated to have smoked pot in 2010. The number of pot users increased by about 17 percent between 2007 and 2010, according to the latest National Survey on Drug Use and Health. And apparently 215 and other such laws are driving the increase: “Emerging research reveals potential links between state laws permitting access to smoked medical marijuana and higher rates of marijuana use,” said Gil Kerlikowske, Director of National… Read More »

About This Blog

Marijuana is a multi-million dollar industry in California, by conservative estimates. For better or worse, it’s in our forests, neighborhoods and strip malls. This blog is a collection of news from The Press Democrat and around the web about evolving laws, policies, business ventures, harvests and all the news that’s fit to print about the green stuff. It’s a place for people to weigh in on one of the state’s most lucrative and polarizing cash crops.